𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧

Have you ever received a gift that was totally unexpected? Share your story with your family.

The first Christmas brought with it a lot of unexpected twists - baby Jesus was born of a virgin? Jesus was born in a manger? The circumstances were certainly not fitting for someone who will be King! Even the gifts the wise men who came along after gave Jesus strange gifts for a young boy. But there was an even more unexpected - that because of the birth of Jesus, we get to receive a gift! What is this gift?

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗜 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝟱:𝟭𝟭-𝟭𝟮

11 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯. 12 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦; 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

For the longest time, people celebrate Christmas by giving gifts to family and friends. Isn’t it strange that we celebrate the birth of Jesus yet the gifts we prepared are not for him but for others? Because many have misplaced their focus during Christmas, we often overlook the significance of this event - that God set into motion His plan of salvation for mankind, that the baby being born that very night was the Savior the world needed. Nobody knew it, but the baby lying on the manger would be our greatest gift ever, the gift that many are still rejecting to this day. This gift is freely given to everyone, to anyone who receives it. But just like any gift, if you don't receive it, you will never get to enjoy it and the benefits it brings.

One day, eternity will come, and those who truly have Jesus in their hearts, they will begin the life that Jesus gave them - eternal life. This eternal life is life with our Father, spending every minute worshiping Him, praising Him, and being in His presence. What joy will that day bring! But what of those who did not receive it? It will be an eternity of suffering and punishment. In Matthew 25:34, 41:

34 “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, ‘𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”

41 “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵, ‘𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴.’”

𝗛𝗨𝗗𝗗𝗟𝗘

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗶𝗱/𝘀:

𝟮-𝟲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗹𝗱

If Jesus gave you a gift, do you want to receive it?

𝟳-𝟭𝟮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗹𝗱

What do you think is the most valuable gift you have ever received?

𝗞𝗶𝗱/𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁:

What gift have you given Jesus for his birthday?

Is there anyone you know who may want to receive this gift? Say a prayer for them.

Jesus gave Himself to us. This is not meant in the figurative way because He literally offered His life in exchange for ours. By His death on the cross, we are spared from eternal punishment, but are instead given the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. It is a gift free for us to receive. May we never take this gift lightly.

(Parents, if you think your kids are ready, you may ask them if they want to receive this gift and if they are, you can pray with them for them to receive the gift of salvation.)

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬

Dear God, thank You because You love us so much that you made this plan to send Jesus to die on the cross in our place, so that we get to spend eternity with you. May we always treasure this gift that is so costly for You and may we share it with those who still have not received it. In Jesus’ name, amen!

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥

Ever wonder how Christmas is celebrated around the world?

Check out this link: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/g34837704/how-christmas-is-celebrated-around-the-world/

Sadly, none of them mentions Jesus. Let us share this good news with people who have not yet heard about it.